Former heavyweight champions Mike Tyson and Larry Holmes embrace before talking to the media during a press conference before their "Kings of the Ring" event at the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona on Tuesday, June 4, 2014.
JOHN HAEGER - ONEIDA DAILY DISPATCH @ONEIDAPHOTO ON TWITTER

Former heavyweight champions Mike Tyson and Larry Holmes talk about boxing during "Kings of the Ring" at the Turning Stone Showroom in Verona on Tuesday, June 4, 2014.
JOHN HAEGER - ONEIDA DAILY DISPATCH @ONEIDAPHOTO ON TWITTER

VERONA >> On Thursday, the International Boxing Hall of Fame will kick off its 25th annual Induction Weekend with ringside lectures and an opening ceremony at the museum in Canastota.

On Wednesday evening, two hall of fame heavyweights got together and gave a sit-down chat of their own.

Mike Tyson, promoting his second round of fights at Turning Stone Resort Casino, and Larry Holmes got together in the Turning Stone Showroom to talk boxing, their 1988 bout and more.

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“Mike Tyson’s the only reason why I’m here,” said Holmes of the “Kings of the Ring” event. “They wanted me to come but when I found out Mike was going to be here, they didn’t have to ask me no more.”

Holmes wasn’t quite as eager for their first encounter. Don King came knocking at the former heavyweight champion’s door when he was 38 years old, two years into his retirement and singing with his band Marmalade.

“I said ‘Don, I can’t beat Mike Tyson, I’ve been off two years,’” said Holmes. “‘No I can’t beat Mike Tyson.’ He said ‘but I’m going to give you $3.5 million’ and I said ‘okay, where’s Mike at.’”

Holmes said he was just glad Tyson didn’t hurt him, adding he didn’t feel much because the first time the 21-year-old hit him he went numb.

Tyson was quick to point out their fight didn’t come when Holmes was on top of his game. The fight was similar to when Holmes, as a young boxer, beat an aging Muhammad Ali. Holmes said Ali took the fight for the same reason he did, for the money.

“I never thought that I fought the great Larry Holmes in his prime,” said Tyson. “I was never delusional about that.”

However, he still had no problem with throwing punches at one of his idols.

“When I’m fighting it’s objective,” said Tyson. “If it was my mother, I would hit her in the ring.”

Now, Tyson spends his time outside the ring watching the fighters he promotes with his company, Iron Mike Productions. He said it was exciting to be able to bring people he knew when he was young – such as classmates and teachers and even ex-girlfriends – to the fights.

“Of course, you know, the fighters are not going to listen to you anyways but I have an opportunity,” said Tyson. “Somebody might listen and if I can just restore the confidence in the promoter in just one fighter, I’ve accomplished something.”

The fighters were also asked what they thought of mixed martial arts and the new sport’s impact on boxing.

“Me and Mike Tyson can knock all of those martial arts guys out,” said Holmes. “And we’re old.”

“Some of those guys are really tough Larry,” responded Tyson.

Both agreed that MMA wasn’t replacing boxing, with Tyson referencing the record-breaking revenue for Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s fights to bolster his case.

Boxing wasn’t the only thing the fighters discussed. Moderator Bud Poliquin questioned Tyson about a recent Us Weekly feature that shared with the world that the “Baddest Man on the Planet” cries every time he watches the movie “The Notebook.”

“Well of course, it’s sentimental, you cry if you’re a human being,” said Tyson.

“Mike, you know you didn’t cry,” Holmes said.

“Well, I don’t cry with tears coming out of my eyes,” Tyson responded, refusing to address which part of the movie causes him to choke up.

He also talked about how he decides his movie roles - “call me, have check, will act” - and why he prefers appearing in comedies to more serious acting roles.

“I like comedy because my whole life has been really serious and people got real creepy,” said Tyson. “So I want people to loosen up around me so I like to keep them laughing.”

He and Holmes both had the audience laughing throughout the show, at one point performing a karaoke duel of The Temptations’ “Ain’t Too Proud To Beg” that ended in a draw, by Holmes’ ruling.

Near the end of the show, the floor was opened for questions from the hundreds gathered to listen to the former champs. Many didn’t ask questions, instead offering recollections of the fighters in and out of the ring or asking for handshakes and autographs.

“It never ends with a handshake,” quipped Tyson as Holmes greeted a fan.

That didn’t stop him from shaking plenty of hands and signing autographs once the event was over.

About the Author

Kyle Mennig, sports editor for the Oneida Dispatch, originally hails from Munnsville. Kyle graduated from Geneseo State in 2008 and covers local sporting events, focusing on area high schools. Reach the author at kmennig@oneidadispatch.com
or follow Kyle on Twitter: @DispatchKyle.